Accurate, reliable measurement of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is needed in a range of applications. Current UV measurement techniques include silicon (Si) based detectors, which can include Si based UV sensitive photodiodes, combined with Si based amplifiers and optical filters to remove non-UV wavelengths to which Si based UV sensitive photodiodes can also be sensitive.
UV detectors using Si based UV sensitive photodiodes, though, can have shortcomings. For example, as stated above, Si based UV sensitive photodiodes can be sensitive to non-UV wavelengths, such as infrared (IR) and certain visible wavelengths. Optical filter devices may therefore be required to avoid the Si device being degraded or blinded by the non-UV wavelengths.
Present Si-based photodetector techniques also have the shortcoming of exhibiting insufficient, or less than desired, responsivity in the spectral region neighboring, for example, 270 nm. This region can be important for various applications pertaining to the UV-C part of the optical spectrum. Another shortcoming of Si based UV detectors can be leakage current, which can in turn decrease UV sensitivity and increase noise.